Textile apparatus



Jan. 18, 1938.

w. A. DlcKlE ETl A1. 2,105,474

TEXTILE APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1936 \MV, VC or s W. IX mme x-FF (KU)- HONC-R i5 vatented Jan. 18, i3

TEXTHLE APPARATUS Wm Alexander Dickie and Robert Wighton Moncrie, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a. corporation of Delaware Application October 20, 1936, Serial No. 106,594 In Great Britain .lune t, i931 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in textile apparatus, and is a continuation in part of our application S. No. 611,924 led 17th May 1932. The invention is more particularly concerned with apparatus for twisting textile threads, especially with the object of obtaining threads having good crping qualities.

In our application S. No. 611,924'we have described a process of obtaining highly twisted threads for the manufacture of improved crpe fabrics by applying the crpe twist in at least two stages and by subjecting the thread to the action of water vapour before at least part of the crpe twist is applied thereto. For example, the threads may be subjected to the steaming treatment in the course of one of the/twisting operations utilized to apply the requisite twist to the thread.

The present invention has as its object to provide apparatus for carrying out this process. In its broadest aspects the apparatus according to the present invention comprises a twisting device and means for steaming that part of the thread which is being twisted. In this way steam is applied to the thread at the point at which the twist is actually applied. Conveniently the thread may be passed through a suitable chamber which may, for instance, take the form of a tube supplied with steam at the desired temperature. Thus in the case of twisting a thread in a machine of the type in which twist is applied as the yarn is drawn oil from a bobbin or' like package, the thread guide immediately above the bobbin from which the thread is drawn oi may be mounted at the point of entry of the thread into the tube or like chamber in which the steam is applied. Preferably the steam is applied only in the minimum quantity necessary to secure the desired effect in the thread in order that escape of steam and consequent likelihood of trouble arising from rusting machinery and the like may be avoided as far as possible.

In utilizing twisting devices of the type in which the thread is twisted as it is drawn off from a. rotating package, it is desirable to prevent the applied twist running back to the bobbin. This may very conveniently be attained by means of the device described in U. S. Patent (Cl. 11T-2) may be mentioned cellulose formate, propionate or butyrate or other cellulose esters'of organic acids, or methyl, ethyl or benzyl cellulose or other cellulose ethers. If desired, crpe threads may be made consisting of or comprising laments of other materials, for example filaments of silk or of articial silk of the regenerated cellulose type. The crpe threads may also be composed of filaments of two or more diierent kinds, whether in respect of material or denier or both. Thus there may used threads containing both laments of cellulose esters or ethers and laments o f natural silk or regenerated cellulose articial silk, or threads containing cellulose ester or ether filaments of two or more different deniers, or threads containing filaments of one cellulose derivative, e. g. an ester, in admixture with filaments of another cellulose derivative, e. g. an ester of different ester content or an ether. Further, the crpe threads may consist, Wholly or in part, of staple fibres, i. e. relatively short lengths of laments.

The degree of twist employed in the crpe threads may vary within wide limits and according to the nature of the thread and of the laments contained therein. Thus, for instance, a total twist of from 55 to 65 or '10 turns per inch may be employed, though higher twists may be employed if desired, for example a twist of 80 to 85 turns per inch. In general a good figure is obtained in the crpe fabrics by the use of a total twist of 60 to 65 to upward of 85 turns per inch in the case of cellulose acetate and similar threads.

In the treatment of the threads in accordance with the present invention, the steam may be applied at any desired pressure and at any desired temperature, .for example at pressures below or slightly above that of the atmosphere, and at temperatures corresponding to the boiling point of water at those pressures. The steam is pref- I erably saturated or Wet. Very good results may be obtained, for instance,vby using steam at pressures up to 5 lbs. per square inch above atmospheric pressure, though higher pressures, for example to 20 lbs. per square inch or more, may be used if desired.

Three forms of apparatus in accordance with the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figs. 1 and 3 show an apparatus in which the twisting device is of the type in which the thread is drawn oi from the end of a rotating package;

Fig. 2 shows a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,l

and Y Fig. 4 shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention embodying a ring spinning type of twister.

Referringto Figs. 1 and 2, the threads 5 drawn oif lrem the end of rotating packages 6 -are carried through the lower apertures i of steam chambers 8, out of the steam chambers through upper apertures 9 and thence to take-up packages I0. The steam chambers 8 are supplied with steam through pipes il from a main steam pipe l2.

Similarly in the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3, threads 5 from a rotating package 6 are passed through lower apertures 'i of a steam tube i3, thence out of the steam tube by the upper apertures 9 and on to the take-up bobbins Il).

In the lring spinning apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4, threads 5 from let-o bobbins i4 are fed forward by feed rollers l5 to the upper apertures 3 of a steam tube i3, out of the steam tube by the lower apertures 'l and thence on to the takeup bobbins l5 by way of the balloon guide and the travellers ll of a ring spinning frame.

It will be noted that in all the above types of apparatus the lower aperture 'l of the steam chamber or tube acts as a balloon guide for the rotating let-olf package in Figs. 1 and 3, and to the take-up package in Fig. 4. If desired, in any of these forms of apparatus a balloon guide may be interposed between the said package and the lower aperture l of the steam chamber or tube. Further, if desired the steam chamber or tube may be so arranged that it can be raised or lowered, thereby adjusting the height of the balloon or the distance of the steam chamber or tube .from the balloon guide if an additional balloon guide is provided.

It will be noted further that in each apparatus the thread is subjected to theaction of the steam while the twist is actually being inserted, or in other words twist is being inserted in the thread while the thread is under the influence of steam. This is characteristic of the apparatus according to the invention.

If desired, lubricants may be applied to the threads which are to receive the high degree of twist, especially whilethe threads have no twist or at any rate only a low degree of twist. Such lubricant, for example olive oil, castor oil or oleic acid, assists the filaments to slide easily over each other so that they may more readily take up their proper position in the thread, particularly during the early stages of twisting, prior and up to the point at which close packing is reached. Such lubricant may be permitted to remain in thethreads throughout the twisting, when it may be removed after incorporation of the threads in fabrics, or removal of the lubricant may be effected before the final amount of twist is applied.

The highly twisted crpe threads may be incorporated in the fabrics in any suitable manner, for example the weit alone may bewholly or partially composed of such threads or the warp may also contain them. In the former case the iinished fabrics exhibit the greater shrinkage in the direction of the weft. It is found particularly convenient however, in general, to employ threads of relatively low twist in the warp and to employ in the weft both crpe'threads having a left-hand twist and crpe threads having a right-hand twist. Such threads may be disposed in the fabrics in any convenient manner, for example pairs of threads of left-hand twist may alternate with pairs of threads of right-hand twist. A further method of constructing the fabrics is to weave composite crpe threads consisting of a thread of high twist doubled with a thread of low twist, yor consisting of two threads of high but opposite direction of twist. In this manner crpe fabrics may be readily produced without the necessity for the employment of a loom capable of weaving two different types of thread such asis necessary when alternate picks of thread of left-handed twist and thread of right-handed twist are to be woven.

Where the fabrics comprise threads of low twist, the latter may be either of the same material orof a different material from that of the highly twisted crpe threads. For example, where the crpe threads are composed' of cellulose acetate filaments, the said threads of low twist may be composed of cotton or of a regenerated cellulose type of articial silk. f In the case of fabrics containing low twist threads as well as the highly twisted crpe threads, such threads, particularly when forming'the warp of the materiaL will usually be sized. In this event it has been found beneficial to employ sizes which are easily removed or at least easily softened by the scouring or likeftreatment subsequently applied to the fabrics after weaving. Indeed, if desired, the said treatments may be modified, for example in respect of temperature or otherconditions, or a special treatment may be applied, for the purpose of softening or removing the size on the thread of low twist. Preferably the size on the said low twist threads should be vmore easily softened or removed than anysize which may' have been applied to the highly twisted crpe threads in the fabrics. Again, when utilizing threads of low twist in conjunction with the crpe threads of high twist, the said low twist threads may be of such character or be so treated as to be less readily wetted than the crpe threads. For instance they may be oiled with an animal, vegetable, or mineral oil prior to incorporation in the fabrics.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. Apparatus for twisting textile threads, comprising a twisting device and means for steaming the threads, the construction and arrangement being such that the twisting device inserts twist in that part of the thread which is actually under the inuence of the steam.

2. Apparatus for twisting textile threads, comprising a twisting spindle in which twisting is effected by drawing thread 0E over the end of a rotating package, and means for steaming the threads, the construction and arrangement being such that the twisting spindle inserts twist in that part of the thread which is actually under the inuence of the steam.

3. Apparatus for twisting textile threads, comprising a twisting device and a chamber having apertures thereinand means for supplying the steam to the interior of said chamber, the construction and arrangement being such that the thread is steamed during the actual insertion of twist in the thread.

e. Apparatus for twisting textile threads, comprising twisting spindles, a steam tube or pipe having oppositely disposed apertures therein, and means for supplying steam to the said pipe or tube, the construction and arrangement' being such that the threads are twisted whilst under the inuence of steam.

5. Apparatus for twisting textile threads, comprising twisting spindles in which twisting is eected by drawing thread of! from the end of a rotating package,a steam pipe or tube having oppositely disposed apertures therein, and means for supplying steam to the saidvpipe or tube, the balloon guides associated with the twisting spindles being at least as low as the lower apertures in the steam pipe or tube, and the construction and arrangement being such that the threads are steamed during the actual insertion of twist therein.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER DICKIE. ROBERT WIGHTON MONCRIEFF. 

